Orchard heater



Aug. 2,1927. 1,637,983

J. C. BECKLEY ORCHARD HEATER Filed Dec. 6, 1924 ocean WITNESSES INVENTOR fir' ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 2, 1 927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Application filed December 6, 1924. Serial No. 754,888.

My invention relates to improvements in heaters, more particularly to a heater of the type adapted to be positioned in an orchard or like p ace, and it consists in the combinations, constructionsand arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of the invention is to provide a heater of simple construction which is 1 adapted for the use of a liquid hydro-carbon and which afi'ords facilities for eflecting practically complete consumption of the liq-' for carbureting the fuel vapors, thus producing a highly combustible mixture within the combustion chamber of the heater.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a. vertical central sect on through a heater embodying the invention and through a liquid fuel supply tank which is associated therewith.

Figure 2 is a section along the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

A heater embod ing the invention comprises a vertically isposed shell 1 provided at its upper end with a convexly curved head 2 and at its lower end with a convexly curved head 3. The shell 1 is supported above the ground 4 or like supporting surface by means of legs 5 or-any other suitable su porting means.

he head 3 is provided with a central opening 6 from which a short tubular extension 7 extends vertically within the interior of the heater. The head 3 is formed to provide a continuous channel or trough 8 which encircles the tubular extension 7 in adjacent but spaced relation to the latter.

A tubular burner body 9 fits at its lower end on the upstanding tubular extension 7 and thus is supported within the heater.

' The inner edge of the trough 8 extends in close proximity to the outer face of the burner body 9-at the lower end of the latter. The burner .body extends within the heater for part of the height of the shell 1 in concentric relation to the latter and is closed at its upper end by a convexly curved top member 10. The marginal portion of the top inember 10 extends laterally of the burner body 9 for approximately half the distance from the burner body to the inner wall of the shell 1, thus providing a laterally extending bafiie hood or canopy indicated at 11 at the upper end of the space between the burner body 9 and the inner. wall of the shell. The under face of the bafiie hood 11, of course, is concavely curved from the outer face, of the burner body 9 radially outward to the outer edge of the bafile'hood', whereby upwardly moving currents of fluid will be deflected downward and inward against the burner body on striking the baffle hood. The burner body may be provided adjacent to its upper end with circumferentially spaced lateral openings 12 and the lower end portion of the burner body is providcd with a plurality of circumferentially extendlng series of apertures 13, each of which is of slight area in cross section.

The upper head or' top member 2 is provided with a central opening from which a tubular extension 14 extends upward. A stack 15 fits at its lower end on the tubular extension 14 and thus is secured against displacement from position on the top member 2 of the heater.

A pendant nipple 16 is secured at its upper end in an opening 17 in the bottom wall of the trough 8 and is connected at its lowsource of liquid fuel supply which in the present instance is shown as being a tank 22 is tiltably supported on a base 23 adjacent to the heater. A' supply conduit 24 is carried by the tank 22 and extends horizontally from the latter, being in communication with the interior of the tank adjacent to the lower end of the tank. A supply conduit 24 is provided at its outer end with a discharge member 25 which extends within the receptacle 21 and terminates within the latter at about the level of the upper end of the trough 8. A valve 26 in the conduit 24 provides a means for controlling the flow of liquid fuel through the latter from the tank 22 into the receptacle 21.

From the foregoing description of the va rious parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. The valve 26 is opened and liquid fuel is permitted to flow into the receptacle 21 and thence through the delivery members 19-18-16 into the trough 8 until the latter is filled, at which time the liquid within the receptacle 21 will have risen slightly above the level of the lower end of the discharge member 25 and will provide a seal for preventing air from entering'the conduit 24.

The liquid fuel may be a relatively heavy grade of fuel oil and when a liquid fuel of this character is used, the fuel in the trough 8 may be ignited by introducing a small quantity of a lighter fuel into the lower part of the heater through a lateral opening 27 in the shell 1 at the lower end of the latter and then ignitin the lighter liquid fuel through the opening 27. The opening 27 of course normally is closed by a swingable gravity cover 28.

Air to support combustion passes through the opening 6 and the apertures 13 into the space within the shell 1 around the burner body 9 and on passing upward against the hood 11 is deflected downward and inward, whereby the heated air on striking the unconsumed liquid fuel in the fuel receiving trough 8 will tend to vaporize the latter. Air entering the burner body also will pass to the upper end thereof and be heated during its passage. This heated air will pass outwardly through the lateral openings 12 against the hood 11 and will be deflected downward to mingle with the fuel "apors, thus carbureting the latter and thus aiding in the production of a highly combustible mixture in the lower part of the heater body. The level of liquid fuel in the receptacle 21 will indicate the level of fuel in the trough 8 and fuel can be admitted to the receptacle 21 as required to maintain the liquid fuel in the trough 8 at a desirable level so that partial vaporization thereof can take place continuously after the latter has been placed in operation and the burner body 9 has become heated. The air-tight tank 22 with the pipe 24 having the valve 26 and arranged to discharge through the member 25 into the cup-shaped receptacle 21 comprise a means which will act automatically to feed oil to the receptacle 21 as soon as the level of oil therein falls to a level lower than til that of the discharge member 25 and permits air to enter the atter. The valve 26 is closed only when the device is not in use but can be adjusted to vary the rate of flow of oil from the tank 22 to the receptacle 21. The level of oil in the receptace 21 and in the trough 8 can be varied by tilting the tank 22 to raise or lower the lower end of the discharge member 25.

I claim 1. In a liquid fuel burner, a shell having a central air inlet 0 ening in its bottom and supported with t e opening in spaced relation to the ground, a li uid fuel trough in the ,bottom and extending around the o ening, and an air conduit extending vertically from the bottom and surrounding the opening and provided with an air outlet at its upper end, and having the major portion of its length from its upper end to a point adjacent its lower end imperforate, and its lower end perforated wherebv m radiate jets of air over the liquid fuel contained in the trough to generate gas in the lower end of the shell, the major volume of air passing into the conduit being preheated by the imperforate walls of the lattor for mixing and burning with the generated gas as the air and gas unite at the upper end of the conduit and thereby insure combustion of substantially all of the volatile products of the gas.

2. In a liquid fuel burner, a vertical shell having a central air inlet in its bottom, and a liquid fuel trough surrounding the opening, a c lindrical air conduit extending Vertically rom the bottom and located between the opening and trough, and having air outlet openings at its upper end, a deflector overlying the air outlet openings, the air conduit being imperforate from its outlet openings to a point adjacent its lower end and having perforations in its lower end adjacent the trou h whereby to direct air jets over the liquid fuel contained in the trough to generate a combustible gas in the lower end of the shell, the air rising in the air conduit being preheated by contact with the walls thereof and constituting an additional air supply for the gas and thereby insuring combustion of substantially all of the volatile products contained in the gas.

, JOSEPH CHARLES BECKLEY. 

